A Mother's Love
by Manaxsavior
Summary: It was happening so fast. Soon, she would have to say goodbye to her child. What should a mother say to comfort her hurting son? This is what SHOULD have happened at the end of AP. AkarixToby  But mainly about the child
1. What should a Mother do?

A Mother's Love

Game: Harvest Moon – Animal Parade

Chapter: What should a Mother do?

Pairings: AkarixToby (But it's mainly about the kid)

This is the cutscene of the day before your child leaves on their journey for waffle town. I was watching this and decided, "Oh what the heck. What would Akari (Or 'Evalyn' in my game) really say? I don't want my kid to go on the journey so I'm avoiding the harvest god like the plague after the purple bell, XD

2 chapters I believe…yeah…maybe 3.

* * *

"The preparations are complete now. The Goddess Tree Seedling is ready. Now all that's left is to send him." As the Harvest King spoke those words, Akari felt her heart slowly give in. She knew that it was for the good of the land and people of Waffle Town. She had kept convincing herself of that for the last year while collecting the necessary ingredients for the King.

Actually, she could have gotten everything together much faster than a year. She already had saved up a diamond from her exploration in the mines, and her green-eyed husband had made her a lunch box every day (Although she could not imagine why the King even needed a lunch box…). The only real challenge was the King Salmon and cheesecake. The Honeydew was no problem since she had spent the last three years working on the farm and growing hundreds of crops. Growing a melon was easy as breathing.

The salmon, though, almost cost her life. The brunette had spent hours just trying to hook it and spent up most of her energy under the hot summer sun. Even the red straw hat she wore did not shield her from the heat that continued to weaken her. When the line suddenly thrust her back into reality (quite literally) it was too late. The King Salmon had fought and she was already low on energy. One final tug on the line sent her tripping towards the water…right underneath the waterwheel.

If her husband hadn't chosen that time to start fishing, she would have been dead.

As for the cheesecake… Well, it wasn't as dramatic as the fishing. But that didn't mean it was easier. Akari cooked as badly as she drew. Which was bad…really bad…

Luckily, Chase had mercy on her poor tortured soul and offered some help. Well…after laughing his butt off seeing her ruined creations of either burnt or unidentifiable creations for the longest time.

Once all of the items were gathered, she hesitated. When the Harvest King mentioned he needed a person pure of heart, she had a feeling of who it had to be. It definitely wasn't her. She was married with a child. And how else do you get a child? It definitely wasn't any of her friends because some of them had children as well. The ones that didn't yet sure weren't pure hearted either.

No, she knew that the ones pure of heart were children. People whose hearts were not yet tainted with the dark side of adulthood. Even if she didn't get married, it was a lost cause. Akari may have been kind and generous, but there were times when that had faultered.

But none of her friends would allow their child on a journey by themselves. She herself wouldn't allow her child, her flesh and blood, to go on this trip. He was still so young, so carefree and happy. Akari still remembered when he would hide behind her leg and hold her hand for reassurance when he met someone new. She remembered the times when he was teased at school and went to her first for comfort. She remembered Child's Day when Toby had mentioned those words that still ring through her mind.

"_Yes, children grow so fast. It's so surprising."_

'Yes. My boy. My baby. He's grown up so fast. It feels like yesterday when I was trying so hard to fight past the fatigue of birth to name our son.' She thought.

His large green eyes, his fathers eyes, stared at me as he cooed, wanting to be in the arms of his mother.

"Daichi…" she whispered, grinning ear to ear as the baby seemed to chose that moment to laugh and smile. Irene handed the tired mother her newborn as the little one snuggled into his mothers warmth. Both husband and wife smiled softly at the small bundle of life in her arms. "My little Daichi…."

It was hard to let go of that. Her child was still so young…

There was one particular day when the Harvest King was getting snippy. He ordered her to find one with a pure heart quickly or else the land would die. This on top of her already tough farm work, family, upgrading and whatnot was putting the stress on her. When Daichi heard of her predicament of what the Harvest King was asking of her, he simply smiled softly and took her hand.

"Mama, don't worry. I'll figure something out." His green eyes flashed confidently, yet held a tinge of something else. "I promise."

She didn't expect her son to go missing the next day…

Akari spent hours looking for him along with Toby. They searched every possible place: the beach, the town, the farms, and even Fugue Forest!

"That's it…" she murmured and gathered some bodigizers and medicine. "It's already sun down. I'm going to ask Luke to see if he found anything near the mines—" That's when she noticed something. Her hammer was gone! Toby didn't mine and sure as hell the dog didn't. That meant…

Akari dropped her rucksack and rushed outside, quickly outrunning her confused husband. She never thought to call on Blaze, the swift horse she's been caring for. Her maternal instincts flushed all other thoughts away as she rushed up that familiar hill and crossed the sounds of the rushing waterfall. She saw Luke practicing with his Axe in the open air once again and unconsciously dodged the blade due to of years of unfortunate experience.

"Hey Akari! What's up—" she drowned him out and continued running, ignoring her aching legs and burning lungs. Just as she reached the entrance, she saw a familiar tuft of light blue hair and stopped. A weary figure stumbled outside clumsily and then saw the out of breath brunette. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. It was so similar to the way his father would.

"Ehehehe… Hi mama—"he didn't get to finish because he was caught in a tight hug by his sobbing mother. The tears rained down her cheeks and the boy felt them fall upon his left shoulder.

He was surprised at his mothers reaction. She never cried. Well, save for the times she would attempt to cook something big. Chase would tease her about the quality. But those weren't serious at all. This was…different. Her body was tense and shaking. It scared him.

"M-Mama? Why are you crying?"

She sniffled and pulled away with her arms holding his arms. Her hazel eyes scanned his appearance, checking for any scrapes and bruises. She had done this many times in the past, but this check-up was frantic and worried. With a final sigh, she rubbed her thumb against a smudge of mud on his cheek. The tears stopped falling, but the tear tracks remained. A smile touched her exhausted (be it physically or mentally) expression.

"Are you…okay…?" she was still out of breath and he figured she ran all the way from goddess knew where.

"I'm alright. Promise!" the boy grinned and she let out another sigh of relief. Akari embraced her child once more, albeit less desperate than before.

"Last time you said that, you had me worried sick…" Akari mumbled against the cloth on his shoulder. She let him go again and then stared at him seriously. "What were you thinking? Your father and I were searching everywhere for you!"

"Well, I was in the mines and—"

"Daichi, there are horrible gases there! You could get sick! Goddess forbid you fall into a crack or pass out! We would never have found you until Owen goes back into the mines!" And she knew that would have taken a while. He was already expecting a child with his wife Kathy.

"B-But I had Finn with me!" Daichi protested as a familiar harvest sprite unearthed itself from his hood.

Akari's eyes widened. "You…you can see Finn?"

He nodded.

"Since when?"

"Ever since the Harvest King first asked you…" he shuffled his feet nervously while she just stared at him in shock. When he first asked? That was half a season ago…

"Daichi, there's one more thing I need to ask you…" Akari took a deep shuddering breath in. "You went to the Harvest King, ne? What did…what did you say?"

"I said…that I would be the one the help him." Daichi was hesitant at first but then connected with his mother's distraught brown eyes with determination. "Those people need help, Mama."

She was about the say something but simply shook her head and stood to full height. "Alright. You're not off the hook yet, but let's go home first. Your father needs an explanation too!" With her senses cleared, she let out a piercing whistle. The sound of rumbling hoof beats came closer as a beautiful brownish red horse cantered in front of the two.

"Blaze!" Daichi cried out in delight and gently rubbed her neck down. She neighed in greeting and allowed Akari to help her son up. Then, she followed up after.

"Let's go home."

Once the ingredients were gathered and Daichi was determined to be the one sent to Waffle Town, Akari couldn't help but feel a little depressed. Akari knew that sometimes, her son would have a hesitant expression whenever he would stare at the calendar.

She imagined him counting the days until he would leave behind the only home he's known. Akari knew her son better than anyone. He was hurting, but decided to deal with it for the sake of others. It pained her to see her son struggling with something she could not aid in. All she could do was watch. And that was one of the most painful parts of parenting.

She put on a happy face for her family, but when Toby was out fishing and Daichi was at school, she would simply sit on her bed and let the tears flow. She would curse herself of her own choices. If she hadn't rung all the bells… If she hadn't met the love of her life… If she hadn't moved to Harmonica town…!

This wouldn't have happened

Daichi wouldn't have to go out there alone

Toby wouldn't have to deal with the loss of his son

She wouldn't have to deal with the fact that all this happened because of the choices she made

It wasn't long before Toby found out about her emotional war. He had his suspicions before since whenever he would come home her eyes would be bloodshot. Her bottom lip would also quiver slightly. It may not look it, but Toby was a master at reading some emotions. As a fisherman, he had to be able to read the faces of the water to tell where and when the fish would bite. Over the time he was married, this skill was used to his advantage. He could tell when she was hungry, happy, sad, and…well…_that_ look the night Daichi was conceived.

So, he came home a bit earlier than usual only to find his Akari with her head between her knees on the bed. Her shoulders shook but she quickly shot up to stare at him on reflex. The tears were clearly racing down her face and he rushed over to comfort the brunette. She poured her heart out to him that day, telling him her deepest fear: that it was her fault this all happened. Instead of berating her for such thoughts Toby simply said soothing words in her ear, lulling the farmer into a quiet (yet fitful) slumber. All he could do was calm her down. It pained him to see her like this, but he couldn't blame her for feeling that way. There was no way that he could truly help. As a mother, only she could find the answer to the question that's been haunting her.

What should a mother do for her child who is growing up all to quickly…?

* * *

Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

Yeah, a little...sad? Well hey, I wouldn't want my child to have to go through that! For multiple reasons! But i'll say them later...i'll put it in the next chapter

Akari: HEY! Why are you making me go through with this? It's my kid!

Mana: Hey, I have to go through it later too!

Akari: But what about my husband! He's worried sick about it too!

Mana: Well tough! And I'm married to him too damn it!

Toby: Calm down you two. Don't fight!

Akari/Mana: SHUT UP!

Toby: Okay...

Yeah, I'm marrying Toby. XD

btw, what I mean when Akari almost falls into the waterwheel and Toby found that to be the best time to go fishing, he didn't actually fish his wife out of the water. He grabbed her before she fell in. Just to let you guys know in case you got confused. lol


	2. What should a Mother say?

A Mother's Love

Game: Harvest Moon – Animal Parade

Chapter: What should a Mother say?

Pairings: AkarixToby (But it's mainly about the kid)

Listening to: Young (By: Hollywood Undead)

Now _this_ is where it goes into how I thought the cutscene should have gone!

By the way, Chase doesn't hate Akari. He really likes her (Best friend wise), so he loves teasing her cooking skills…or lack thereof. I made it that way b/c my sis married Chase and I'm gonna marry Toby, hehe.

A/N: By accident, I made the flashback 1 year ago when it was supposed to be 10. Daichi is ten and it wouldn't make sense if he was ten when Toby and Akari met a year ago. Oops, Forgive my mistake

* * *

"And then Angie went fishing with me!" Daichi grinned and pulled his short arms apart wide. "I caught a brown trout this big!"

"It looks like he got it from his father, eh?" Akari nudged her husband's ribs playfully as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe he could teach you a thing or two."

"Maybe," Toby took a sip of water and smiled. "This old man is losing his touch. I mean, I nearly missed when I had to fish your mother out of the water on one of our dates!"

The brunette blushed in embarrassment and then crossed her arms. "T-T-That was because I tripped when the fish tugged hard!"

"Yeah, a pond smelt could pull a nineteen year old girl into the river." The blunette chuckled as he remembered those days.

"Hey, can you tell me now?" their child began curiously. Akari and Toby blinked in confusion.

"Tell you what?"

"About how you met and who proposed!"

Both of them turned as red as a freshly grown tomato and they fidgeted.

"Honey, maybe we should tell him." Toby insisted, although the red in his cheeks remained. Akari sighed and nodded in defeat. But in the end she smiled.

"Yeah. We should…"

* * *

10-Years Ago…

_It was the first day she arrived in Harmonica Town. The mayor had offered her land and a place to stay. Before getting all her things together though, she decided to visit everyone on the island. There were the storeowners of Sonata Tailoring, Brass Bar, the Fishery, Simon's Photo's, the Clinic, and Ocarina Inn. It was a lot of land to cover and apparently she still wasn't done. She visited Marimba Farm and Horn Ranch. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she missed something…_

_The sound of running water attracted her ears. The feeling of dipping her aching feet in the cool waters were all too tempting as she jogged down the hill towards the waterwheel. There, she caught sight of a shock of light blue hair. It was a man fishing contently. Curious, Akari walked over. The surface of the water rippled and he turned his head slightly to see her walking towards him._

"_Oh!" he pulled his line back and carefully set his fishing rod to the side. He turned fully to greet her and smiled. "Hello. You must be the new rancher, right? My name is Toby." He began to bow and Akari stumbled on words. _

"_I'm Akari! Pleasure to meet you!" she bowed as well and flashed him a wide grin. Her eyes trailed down to the river and she frowned a bit. The water level was a little low for this type of location. If anyone had to decide on where to build a waterwheel it would be in a place where the water ran strong and true. Right now, the wheel barely moved._

_He noticed her gesture and frowned. "You may have noticed as you went around, but things have been a little…different. The land is almost lifeless now. Even the wind hardly blows."_

"_I see…" She nodded slowly, understanding his sadness. If the land died, then people would have to move on. She once lived in the city, where nature didn't thrive as strongly there as here. But that didn't mean she couldn't feel anything towards a dying land…_

_Toby let out a deep sigh but then his eyes snapped open at a thought. Akari almost jumped. It was the first time she saw his eyes. They were a beautiful light green, like peridot. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was rather attractive. The other males on the island had their charms, but this one seemed easy to get to know and talk to. Okay, so he wasn't gorgeous by any means. This wasn't a love at first sight thing either. It was a normal meeting for two people who would unexpectedly fall in the deep ditch called love…eventually…_

_The fisherman looked to the side and grabbed his spare fishing rod. "Here. The fishing isn't exactly great right now, but it's still really fun!" he smiled sheepishly and held his gift out. "This one is my old spare but it should still handle fine. You might even get lucky to catch a king fish!"_

"_Are you sure?" she asked skeptically. She had gotten a lot of things from these people of Harmonica Town. She felt bad she couldn't give anything in return. "I mean you just met me. I could be some crazy chick for all you know."_

_He put a finger to his chin in though but then grinned slyly. "Well, you're not crazy, are you?"_

"_No!"_

"_Kidnapper?"_

"_No."_

"_Bandit?"_

"_Nope."_

"_Psychotic murderer?"_

"_Toby…" she hissed playfully at his final jibe. After a few seconds, both burst into laughter while scaring away the fish in the process._

"_Well, if that's the case…" he wiped a tear away from his eye in his laughing and offered her his hand. "Then it will be a pleasure to get to know you." There was an almost hopeful tone behind his words and Akari smiled at the gesture. _

_She took his hand in his, relishing in its warmth beneath her gloves._

"_The pleasure is all mine."_

* * *

"Papa thought Mama was crazy?" their son let a laugh rip out from his lips as the two of them joined in.

"Well, I had to say _something_ to your mother." He insisted but Akari scoffed.

"But to ask if I was a psychotic murderer?"

"I was nervous!"

"So when did you propose!" Daichi cut in impatiently.

Akari made a soothing gesture and smiled. "Now, now…we're getting there… Well, your father and I often met each other in town. Occasionally we would both go fishing on days when I was free."

"Which was hardly a lot," Toby added with the shake of his head. "I had to convince her that I would get her a year supply of strawberries just so she would let someone else watch her farm for a day or two…"

"Which only lasted half a year!" she insisted with a pout.

"Haha, but we went on a good date right?"

"Took you long enough to propose though…" Akari mumbled and grimaced at the memory of going through those mines just to find a blue feather at the top of the mountain. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to find that blue feather?"

"Sorry, sorry!" Toby smiled nervously and held his hands up.

"So mama gave papa the blue feather?"

"Yes, Daichi. Your mother worked very hard to find that feather." Akari grinned proudly once Toby let those words leave his lips. Daichi guessed that they had this conversation before.

"I was going to propose…but I couldn't find a good time." He said. But then he smirked smugly. "Meanwhile, your mother just finds the most convenient time to, huh?"

The brunette frowned and scratched the back of her head. "Not my fault I didn't know you and Renee were having a little _friendly_ chat…"

"Papa…cheated on Mama with Ms. Renee?" Daichi asked. "Jeez Papa. Mama wasn't enough?" The wedded couple gawked at their son.

"D-D-Daichi!"

"Where did you hear that!"

He shrugged but a sly smile crossed his features. Toby managed to glare at his wife half-heartedly.

"That did not come from my side of the family…"

Like her son, Akari shrugged and grinned as well. "I can't help it if he takes after my charms…"

Toby threw his head in his hands and shook his head in an over exaggerated manner. "What have I done?"

* * *

After dinner, it was time to go to bed. The day had finally arrived. Tomorrow, Daichi would leave for Waffle Town to care for the new tree with Finn. She would admit that she would get lonely without the small harvest sprite zooming around her head every ten seconds and waking her up in the middle of the night. But…

_Creak…_

Akari's ear pricked up and her eyes snapped open. Careful not to wake her still sleeping husband, she turned on her side as if shifting her sleeping position. As expected, the creaking stopped for a minute before continuing. The door opened and shut silently and Akari for once cursed her habit of oiling the hinges so much. She learned from experience to at least give your door a bit of rust so that you don't get surprised of any unwanted visitors.

Not that it happened for a while now. When she first started out, a few animals managed to sneak in her shambled living quarters to steal what little produce she decided not to sell. After that, she vowed to get her house fixed up as soon as possible…

But enough of the memories. Akari carefully extracted herself from her husbands loose grip around her waist and grabbed her rucksack by the door (duly noting that another rucksack was also missing). She had a feeling she knew where to look. Quickly, she jogged over to the beach next to the farm to see that familiar shock of blue hair. Akari shook her head and grinned. 'That boy never seems to quit, huh… Guess he really does take after me.'

"Couldn't sleep? Akari asked while smiling softly. She sat down next to him on the white sandy beach.

Her son jumped and stared at her in surprise. "Mama?"

There was a short silence before Daichi sighed. "Mm-hm." The sounds of waves lightly beat against the shore. "I'm…leaving tomorrow right?" He suddenly stood up and walked closer to the water. It caressed his boots as he inhaled the salty air he grew up to. Then he shook his head. "I guess I'm kinda scared, but…" Daichi felt the next words choke him. "Being apart from you and Papa… I'll be lonely." Somehow, he allowed a small laugh to escape him. "Seriously. You can't even wake up in the morning without me pulling the sheets!"

Akari giggled, recalling those times. But she stopped when she heard a soft sob escape her son.

"Papa probably won't be able to sleep worrying about me…" at this, Akari almost laughed at the irony. It was her doing most of the worrying.

The brunette stood and took a step closer to her son. He turned towards her with his eyes filling with tears that were held back by sheer willpower.

"Mama…" he asked while looking up at her with pleading eyes. Those same eyes that twinkled at her when he was happy. Those same eyes that flared slightly when she got hurt. Those same eyes that softened in concern when she pushed herself to the brink of passing out. "Did I… Did I make the right decision?"

Her brown eyes widened at the question and the smile she wore weakened. He… He was worrying about the same things she was? And he didn't break down?

Akari looked at her boy. The one that came to her when he couldn't solve a problem at school. The one who took fishing lessons from his father. The one that went to her when he had a nightmare.

She looked at him and let the corners of her mouth curve up once more as she also fought the tears that threatened her as well. The brunette promised herself she wouldn't cry anymore. She would send her son off with a big smile.

"Daichi," she began carefully. "You'll meet new people. You'll see new lands. You'll even make new friends." Akari closed her eyes in nostalgia, remembering what her own mother said before she left. The brunette echoed them now, passing them down from mother to child. "The world is changing. People grow, not just from the flow of time but from the people we meet and the experiences we encounter."

"New…people?" he repeated and frowned deeper. "What if I…forget everyone else? What if I never meet you or Papa again?"

Her hand fell to where her heart resided and her other went to where his was. "We'll always be with you right here."

Daichi's hand overlapped hers. "Here?"

Akari nodded. "So whenever you get lonely, just think of us. Your father and I…" she choked a little. "We're so proud of you, Daichi."

The boy broke out into a wide teary grin and tackled her mother in a tight embrace. His short arms attempted to wrap around her waist.

"Thanks, Mama!" he mumbled against her shirt. "That's such a relief to hear…"

"You're what roots us down, y'know?" she laughed at her own little joke [1] and held him close. The brunette also nuzzled her sons hair. "With your father always napping and me being practically a dead-weight in bed, what will we do without you? But I guess a little runt like you could still use some advice from me, huh."

A shooting star passed by and caught Daichi's attention.

"…Mama…?"

"Mm-hm?"

"I wanna be like you when I grow up…"

She chuckled. "You want people to call you psycho?"

Daichi shook his head and huddled more into her warmth, not wanting to forget her scent of fresh pine and mint.

"No, I want…" he sighed. "…to be kind…and work hard…like…Mama…" When she felt his breath slow, Akari held him a little tighter.

"I'll always love you, Daichi… No matter how many season pass… Even if you get lazy like your father…even if you get as stubborn as me…"

Carefully, she began to pick her slumbering son up and adjusted him onto her back.

"Eat well. Sleep early too. Don't pull all-nighters like I did or you'll get a stern lecture from the village doctor."

They continued up the hill towards the farm.

"Don't overwork yourself in the beginning. Take things slow and figure out how to balance the work load."

Akari stumbled for a second on a rock but fixed herself and made sure Daichi was secure on her back.

"Make good friends because you'll be dealing with them for a while. And don't drink until you're old enough! Don't challenge the people at the bar at drinking contests either because you'll lose horribly."

A few drops of water fell down on her face. Strangely, they tasted of salt.

"Fall in love and find someone to settle down with. But be careful about it. You might have competition! Make sure you can handle a family before starting one too."

The farm was in sight and she caught the early sun begin to rise.

"Grow old and watch you kids do the same. Die long after I do."

At the doorway was her husband with a knowing smile on his face. Akari grinned sheepishly and went over to him. He kissed her forehead and led her inside after wiping the tears away from her face. They both tucked Daichi in and watched his slumbering form. Toby pulled his wife in for a hug from the back. She leaned into his warmth and sighed in bliss.

"And don't ever forget that we're always with you."

* * *

Awwww, so cute! Honestly, I didn't know how that happened. Sure, I had my thoughts on how the chapter would be but wow… I tried keeping Akari un-angsty but who wouldn't when their only child had to leave? So I opted for, "Shed the least amount of tears you can" kind of mother.

[1] I might have made Akari seem weak, but she's actually stubborn and energetic. Toby is the calming side of the family. But even he gets a little…too calm sometimes. Daichi keeps them all together. Actually his name means "Earth", so it's almost a pun on his name. DON'T HURT MEH! –cowers in fear-

I think I'll have one more chapter of _**A Mothers Love**_. The next one is the departure of Daichi. I'm a little sad now that this is gonna end…_or will it?_


	3. What should a Mother give?

A Mother's Love

Game: Harvest Moon – Animal Parade

Chapter: What should a Mother give?

Pairings: AkarixToby (But it's mainly about the kid)

Listening to: Wrapped in your arms (By: Fireflight)

…Was it waffle TOWN or waffle ISLAND…? Oops…I think it was island…GAH WHATEVER!

* * *

"Daichi! Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Do you have your rucksack?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Did you pack your unmentionables?"

"Mama!"

"Hehe, sorry I couldn't help myself." The brunette messed with his light blue hair and laughed. "At least I didn't say it in front of Angie, right?"

Her young ten-year old son blushed dark red and tried smacking her hand away from his hair. "You're so embarrassing, Mama!"

Toby chuckled and pulled his wife away from his son. Placing his hands on his hips, he waved a finger to the both of them in a scolding manner. "Now, now. If you two keep playing then you're both going to miss breakfast!"

"Yes…"They amended slowly after wincing at the fisherman's rare face of seriousness. They both cracked an eye open at each other at the same time and then laughed.

Akari nudged her son when Toby turned away to set the table. "One last prank against your father?"

Daichi smirked. "Where should I put the bananas?"

* * *

After a very satisfying breakfast (At least for the mother and son), the three of them grabbed their things. Akari checked her rucksack, checking to make sure a certain item was still in there.

"Mama? What's that?"

Her son made her jump up and nearly drop her bag.

"Eh? Oh, it's nothing. Are you ready to go?" she asked quickly and clicked the rucksack around her waist. "Go on out ahead, okay Daichi?"

"Okay!" as he went out the door, Toby went up to her and a small annoyed frown.

"You're the one that put the banana in my pants, weren't you?"

Akari smiled innocently and avoided his green gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

He eyed her suspiciously and then let it slide. "Anyway… I guess the day has come. Let's send Daichi off with a smile, okay?" She nodded. Grabbing her hand, the two of them walked out the door to where their child waited for them patiently.

* * *

As they arrived at the goddess spring, the family saw some of their friends there. Candace, Angie, Luna, and Selena were some of them. Toby also saw Paolo, Pascal, the Mayor, and…was that Wizard?

Daichi ran ahead and greeted everyone with Finn by his side. He then turned and sent them a broad grin. "Mama! Papa! You're late! What were you doing?"

"Probably having a little lover quarrel?" Selena suggested to the little boy. "Or maybe…"

"Selena, what are you teaching my child?" Akari raised a brow before her eyes widened. "Don't tell me you were the one that taught Daichi about…" Toby covered his wife's mouth with his hand and smiled nervously.

"A-anyway…" he offered a change of subject and Selena gladly took it.

"Yeah, that doesn't really matter now, does it?"

Candace shuffled her feet a bit before looking at Akari. "Um… It might be hard, but we're all behind you." Selena and Luna blushed a deep red and Akari had to stare at them weirdly until she caught onto the implications that could be taken in what her blunette friend had said.

"Ahhaha… Thank you Candy!" Akari also had a small blush and was glad for the little distraction.

Hamilton turned to her son. "Well, you are Akari's child, so I'm sure everything will be fine!" Wizard nodded in agreement.

Daichi ran over to his parents as Toby began to speak.

"Do your best and take care of yourself, Daichi." He began and lightly ruffled up his hair. Akari could have sworn she hear her son say something along the lines of, 'Why is everyone out to mess up my hair?' "I know you'll do well." Then, Toby did something unexpected. He took his precious straw hat off and handed it to his son. They wordlessly came to an agreement and Daichi wore it the same way his father did.

Paolo came over with his eyes brimming with tears. "Dai…you're leaving already? B-But…School finally got fun and…and…" he sighed in defeat.

"Paolo…" Daichi frowned.

His friend then hastily rubbed the tears away and grinned wide. "Take care of yourself and keep fishing! I'll visit sometime, so be sure to save some food for me!"

They exchanged a secret handshake and a bro hug (Aw) before separating. While doing so, Daichi didn't fail to feel Paolo's tears on his shoulder.

When he pulled away, Angie stepped forward with a soft smile.

"Daichi," she began and already a plume of red appeared on the boys face. Toby nudged his near squealing wife with a grin of his own. The girl came closer and pulled him in for a hug.

"A-Angie…?" the red on his face got darker as his hands flailed slightly, as if trying to find a place to settle down. He calmed a bit and decided to settle them around her back. Daichi caught a scent of raspberries in her soft purple hair and closed his eyes. When she pulled back, that radiant smile was still there.

"Write to me, Okay? Promise you will!" she near pleaded and he nodded quickly. Sneakily, she put something in his pocket and kissed his cheek. Pretty much everyone had an 'awwww' moment…except Paolo who grinned knowingly.

No one noticed him saying quietly to himself: "It's about time!"

"Let's take a picture!" the Mayor called out suddenly. Recovering from their blushing, He and Angie separated. Daichi was excited as ever as the family huddled together. Time slowed down during those timed seconds off the camera. She didn't even notice that the mayor was beginning to trip.

The camera snapped the shot. Finn, now overflowing with excitement, hovered in front of Daichi. "Time to go! A lot of people are waiting for us on Waffle Island!" He nodded and turned around towards his family. On one side was the long stretching rainbow towards his destiny. On the other side were his beloved friends and family.

"Well, Mama… Papa…" he began with a smile. "Take care of yourself okay?" The simple sentence made Akari's heart lurch. She fought the feeling of sickness but it grew as her son began to wave goodbye. Before he turned, she remembered what happened that morning.

"_Mama? What's that?"_

"_Eh? It's nothing…"_

"Wait!" she called out and all eyes were on her. She blushed in embarrassment and scratched the back of her head.

Daichi blinked in his insanely cute manner. "What's wrong, Mama?"

She shuffled in her rucksack and pulled out something wrapped in forest green cloth. It was a little bulky, but it wasn't too heavy. Akari grinned sheepishly.

"I was hoping to give this to you when you were older…but now that this happened I had to rush it a little."

He felt the dark green cloth beneath his fingers and nearly gasped. Shining wool dyed green…and was that hints of dark blue in the threads?

Her son carefully unwrapped the soft cloth surrounding the object and gasped a bit.

"A book?" Luna raised a brow. "You got your son a book? N-Not that it's bad or anything!" she corrected, already feeling the stares at her. Although, everyone did seem to have the same question… Why a book?

Well, all but Wizard knew. He remembered Akari asking him about a suitable gift for her son. She didn't want it to be something useless or something he'd only use once. With a solution, he rummaged through his library of books and pulled out on leather bound one. On the cover, there was the image of the Goddess tree while on the back, there was a radiant sun.

"Read it later," Akari winked. "And don't lose it, y'hear?"

Daichi nodded and turned towards the bright rainbow that would lead him to Waffle Island. With a resolute nod he ran up, not turning back. He couldn't.

* * *

Making their slow walk back home, Akari sighed after finally putting a halt to the tears she shed. Toby held her hand the whole way back. The farm came into sight after the seemingly hours long walk.

"I'll put the animals inside, so go ahead in." her husband kissed her forehead reassuringly. Akari smiled in gratitude and went inside. She definitely needed some nice tea right now.

Toby rang the bell and the animals went inside the barn for a well deserved rest. He also managed to put some crops that were done in the shipping bin. The sun began to set on the scenery of the land and he sighed tiredly before coming inside. His wife was already sitting on the bed with a finished cup of tea in her hands. Wordlessly, he put the cup in the sink and sat beside her.

"Well…" he began uneasily. The silence in the house was deafening. He felt something press down on his shoulder and turned to see that she rested her head on it. "Akari…"

"Mm… Sorry, just…gimmie a sec." She smiled softly. But then she pouted after a few seconds. "I'm not gonna break down again!

"I wasn't thinking—"

"Toby, I've been married to you for ten years." She stated simply and giggled. "I think the only thing I can't tell about you is why you hate banana's so much."

"And I shall never say why," he shuddered and then allowed his head to rest against hers. "So, what shall we do now?"

She shrugged and stared at the clock. It was nearly ten. "Dunno…sleep?" What else could they do? Toby agreed and went to hang his jacket up. Akari quickly changed into her nightgown and settled down. Her husband soon joined her under the sheets after turning the lights off. She sought for his familiar warmth and sighed blissfully when his arm wrapped around her waist. Sleep was about to consume her when…

"Hey Akari…"

"Mm-hm?"

"Maybe not now…but…" he paused and she reopened her eyes to look at her husband who was strangely blushing.

"Toby?"

"When we're ready…" his hand went to caress her cheek. "Do you think…we can try for another?"

All thoughts of sleep escaped her mind and a wide smile was etched onto her face. When she didn't answer, he grew more nervous and flustered. Maybe it was too soon to ask? Maybe he was just being harsh since she just…

He couldn't finish his thoughts because he was suddenly flipped on his back with a rather attractive looking female over him.

"Aka—"

"Toby…" she began with a raised brow and a cat-like grin on her face. "Do you even want to know what you started?"

"Wh-Eh-buh!" He was at a loss for words and couldn't help but feel the red grow on his face. His wife's face inched closer, her lips a thin breath away from his own when…

_'Chu!'_

He blinked when he felt something warm on his nose. His green eyes opened in shock and Akari laughed.

"Haha, you should have seen the look on your face," she giggled and Toby continued to stare at her confused. Once she settled down, she got off of him and settled down next to him. "I'm sorry…and I'm really glad you think that way Toby." Akari put her hand on his chest and felt his fast heartbeat. "And I would like to…have another child with you. One day."

He hummed and looked up at the ceiling. "I wonder… Would we get a boy or a girl?"

"A girl," she said confidently. "I just know it…" her hand traveled just below her stomach and rested there. "But for now… We sleep."

Toby nodded and pulled his wife in for a protective hug. Their life together was only just beginning.

* * *

_8-years later…_

"Aki!" called a voice. "Eden broke loose again. Do you think you can get him?"

"Yes, Mama!" a young girl around the age of seven nodded quickly and scanned the roads for any sign of the red horse. The stubborn thing always broke free from the herd and had fun messing with his owner. Yet for some reason, he wasn't as stubborn to Aki.

When the wind picked up, she tied her messy light blue hair up and continued the search. The girl saw a glimpse of a flowing tail by the watermill and ran over hurriedly. If anything happened to that horse, she'd have a fit!

Unfortunately in her haste, she tripped over the sudden drop in elevation down the hill and braced herself for the hard ground. She did feel an impact, but it wasn't as hard as she thought! It was almost soft and warm.

"Whoa…careful there!"

Aki's green eyes snapped open and she looked up to see her savior. He was tall and seemed relatively fit. A rucksack was on his back and his calloused hands reminded her of her mothers: farmer's hands. On his head was a straw hat that hid some of his hair, but Aki could see blue locks like her own. But what caught her attention the most were his green eyes that sparkled like peridot.

"I—uhm…" she stumbled on words. The man simply chuckled and helped dust herself off. "I'm sorry!"

"No problem. I assume he belongs to you, then?" he asked as he went to pat the horses neck. Aki was about to protest. Eden was a very picky horse and didn't like people who weren't familiar with Aki's family. However, the horse nickered a greeting and bumped its head against his chest in affection. "H-Hey! Easy with the greeting! Jeez, you remind me of Blaze!"

"Excuse me sir…" Aki began slowly and he turned to her. "Sorry to intrude…but what were you doing by Mama's waterwheel? I've never seen you here before."

He scratched the back of his head and Aki was immediately reminded of her father. "Ah, just visiting. Hey, may I have a word with your Mama and Papa?"

"Mm…" she shifted uncomfortably. "Mama said not to talk to strangers…"

"Oh, how silly of me!" he laughed a little and then knelt down to her height. "What's your name?"

"I'm Aki!" she grinned, as if proud of her name. "'cuz I was born in autumn!"

"Looks like those two had a fun time…" he murmured under his breath in a chuckle and then put a hand on his chest. "Well…I'm—"

"Aki! Where are you?" the voice called out again and Aki turned her head up the hill.

"Mama! Someone is here to see you!"

"Someone? Who…?" a woman with long brown hair walked over and suddenly froze in her tracks. The man smiled softly at her and stood up. As he took the straw hat off his head, Akari took notice of that shock of blue hair and the sheepish grin.

"I'm home."

* * *

Awwww, I love happy endings. Maybe I'll even put an epilogue…but as of this chapter it is officially complete! The epilogue might just have them catching up on events.

Aki is Toby and Akari's second child. It was hard trying to find a good name, but oh wells.

Oh, and sorry about Candace. I thought it was cute though…I know someone like that, but he's not really like Candace. He's not as 'pure', but he tends to make perverted comments without thinking about them. XD

**Questions for the epilogue:**

**Akari gave her son a book before he left…what was in the book?**

**What did Angie put in his pocket? And where's Finn!**

**WHO PUT THE BANANA IN TOBY'S PANTS! (XD)**

…**no seriously who did?**


End file.
